Brotherhood
by kirakirakatsu
Summary: A series of oneshots about Speed and X as brothers. Brotherbonding. Pre-series, post season 1, between episodes, during episodes, etc.
1. Anytime

**Author's Note:** **Just a series of oneshots. This one takes place about a couple of weeks after "The Note", on June 29(I made June 29th the anniversary of the day Speed Racer Sr. disappeared). X's POV. Say Hello reference**

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Speed Racer: The Next Generation.**

I was awake, but I didn't want to open my eyes just yet. It was June 29, 2008. I didn't want to look at the calender. It was too painful. Today was the anniversary of the day that my dad disappeared. This year it fell on a Saturday. That meant twice as many long news reports than usual. Every year, June 29 was like a giant trainwreck. The news reporters showed endless pictures and videos of my dad, and had their usual debate over whether or not he was dead, if he'd been in an affair, that sort of thing. For a long time, I'd thought that dad was dead, but the note that Speed and I got from him changed that. The very fact that Speed existed destroyed any thought that dad had been in an affair. If there was another woman, then why would he stick around long enough to have another kid? Sighing, I opened my eyes, and they immeadiately looked at the calender. A tear rolled down my face. I walked over to my bookshelf, that mostly contained trophies, and pulled out an old shoe box. I opened the box to find a knock-off version of the bandana my dad had worn. At the Academy, it was a tradition for everybody to wear one on June 29. Even Proffesor Aniskov did this. Connor, due to the fact that he wore one every day, would wear a Speed Racer _wig._ It was black, and in the shape of his classic pompador. Today was going to be long, but at least I had somebody to share it with.

I was almost at the door when I remembered that Speed and I had agreed for one of us to keep the note for a week and then switch every Saturday. I'd had the note this week, so it was Speed's turn next. I quickly grabbed the note from under my pillow and walked halfway across campus to Speed's room. I saw Connor just leaving the room he and Speed shared.

"Hey, X." Connor said. I knew it was mean, but I couldn't help thinking rude thoughts about how riddiculous Connor looked when he wore that wig, almost like a mannequin.

"Hey, Connor. Just wanted to stop by and say hi to Speed. Did he go to breakfast yet?" I said; I did NOT want Connor finding out about the note.

"Speed said he wasn't going. He seems really depressed. Probably because it's the 29th." I winced; Connor had a way of weasling his way into the touchy subjects.

"Hey, if Annalise asks, tell her I'll be late for breakfast." I said. Whether what Connor said was touchy or not, I had a feeling he was right.

"Oh, okay." Connor said. It looked as if he could read my thoughts, like he knew what I was really telling him. He walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria. I knocked softly before entering Speed's room. Whenever somebody came in my room without knocking, it really annoyed me. It all started when this crazy stalker chick would come in my room and watched me sleep. One night I woke up to find her just staring at me. Definitely weirder than Connor and his freaky wig.

"Hey, Speed?" I said. I looked around the room. Speed was completely under the covers, which was weird, because his room was always a little hot. My eyes drifted over to his calender. Today's date had been completly marked out with a black marker. No answer came from the lump under the covers.

"I came to give you the note. It's your week." That got a response. Speed sat up slowly. He, too was wearing a red bandana. _The real one, most likely, _I thought. He looked terrible. His face was red, and his eyes were a little bloodshot. It took me a while, but I realized that he had been crying. He reached out and grabbed the note.

"Thanks." His voice sounded empty and hollow.

"29th got you down?" I said without realizing that I, too, was weaseling my way into a touchy subject.

"Uh-huh." Speed sniffled. "For me... it's always been more than the day Speed Racer disappeared. It's also the day that..." Speed was reluctant to tell me the last part, but I figured it out.

"Oh." I said before Speed could say anything he didn't fell comfortable saying.

"Sitting in my room all day is just how I deal with it." Speed admitted.

"What about when it was a school day?" I asked with growing concern. Had Speed skipped?

"I'd boycott talking." That came as a relief. "Look, I just want to be alone." Speed said as he covered himself back up with the sheets. A part of me wanted to just not disturb him. To just do what Speed wanted. Then, out of nowhere, I decided to stay with Speed in his room. I don't know if it was human kindness, or brotherly instinct, but something told me that staying there was what Speed needed. All I'd been thinking about that morning was how this 29th was going to be so much easier because I had somebody to share it with. What I hadn't realized was that Speed had been going through the exact same thing, only without all the newscasts of his dad (well, there were newscasts of his dad, he just hadn't know it yet). Never before had I felt so selfish. In his room, we didn't exchange words, but I could tell that June 29 had torn Speed apart as much as it had me, if not more. I guess that I never thought of that. We skipped lunch and dinner. Neither of us were hungry. We both had a twisting knot in our stomachs. Annalise called me a few times, and after a while I just turned off my phone.

MACHHAGOMACHHAGOMACHHAGOMACHHAGO

On Sunday, June 30, 2008, Speed looked and felt a little better. His eyes were still a little bloodshot, but I could tell he hadn't cried. He talked about all the usual things. After lunch, he caught me in the hall.

"Hey, X!" I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"Hey, Speed."

"X, I just wanted to say... thanks."

"Anytime, Speed. Anytime."


	2. Bruise

**Author's Note: Okay, this chapter could probably be a little better. I had to think soooooo hard to come up with this one. It's in Speed Jr.'s POV, set in part 1 of "The Secrets of the Engine". I think that it's named for that episode from the original series called "The Secret Engine", which is kinda cool. Reference to "Kight Racer". PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Speed Racer: The Next Generation. I wish I did, but I don't.**

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"Come on, X. It's not that big a deal." I said.

"No, Speed. It is. I can't believe you're going through with this after somebody _hurt _you!" I couldn't believe X was this angry.

"X, Connor and Lucy said the same thing." And to think this whole discussion started with a broken air conditioner...

_(FLASHBACK)_

_...I was kind of bummed and kind of excited at the same time. I was bummed because somebody tried to steal the plans for the Chezco Chamber, but I was excited because my dad's dream was finally coming true. I decided to go to the games room and relax. I could tell by just opening the door that X was the only one in the room. Once I walked into the building, the heat hit me like a hammer. _

_"Hey, X. Why is it so hot in here?" I asked my older brother, who had seemed a little miffed lately. I couldn't tell why._

_"The air conditioner's broken." X said stiffly. "Why don't you take off that undershirt?"_

_"Good idea." I said, forgetting for a second how much the bruises still hurt. I took off my both my shirts for a breif few seconds, then put my t-shirt back on. (I'm not a girl. I don't know how to take an undershirt off without taking off the shirt I have over it. I never understood how they're able to do that.)_

_"What's that?" X asked, a strange mixture of concern and anger in his eyes._

_"What's... what?" I asked._

_"Those bruises on your arms." X said, the anger seeping into his voice. I could tell that he wanted to strangle the person who had given me the very distinct bruise on my right arm. The one on my left just looked like mush, not a hand._

_"Some people tried to steal the Chezco Chamber earlier today. They only got away with the installation notes. I tried to stop them. It... didn't work out."_

_"What? Why didn't you tell me?" X asked._

_"Because you would've freaked. Or just not cared."_

_"NOT CARED?!!? Speed, somebody tried to _hurt _you today. Do you honestly think that I wouldn't care? Because I do. I care that somebody wants to stop dad's dream and is willing to hurt you to do it." I couldn't believe that X was this mad over nothing._

_"Come on X, it's not that big a deal."_

_(End flashback)_

"CONNOR, and LUCY? You told _them _before you told ME? ARRGH!!" X stormed out of the room. I decided to put the undershirt back on and look for him. By the time I did, X was long gone. I checked all the usual places: his room, the gym, that shiney wall in the cafeteria where he likes to check out his reflection, all with no luck. I decided to head back to my room. I took the way that lead me right past the statue of my dad. That's when I found X. It looked like he was talking to the statue. I decided to not say anything, and just listen.

"...and so I don't think that I'm being a very good brother. He got hurt, and he didn't tell me. He trusts Connor and Lucy more than he does me. Maybe Speed would just be better off without me... Mabye-"

"X." I didn't want to hear more.

"Speed? What are you doing here? Ummmm, did you hear me talking to the....?"

"Uh-huh. I came looking for you. I wanted to tell you the third reason why I didn't tell you."

"Okay. Why?"

"Because I thought you would try to stop me from driving at the demo tomorrow. Connor and Lucy tried. That's why I told them first. I figured that if I could change Lucy's mind then I could change yours."

"Are you saying that I change my mind easily?"

"No, but Lucy's pretty stubborn. And X, I don't think that you're a terrible brother."

"Thanks."


	3. Jealousy

**Author's note: Hello! X's POV. Set in Knight Racer, when X is drowning (which was an OH MY GOSH!!! HURRY UP, SPEED!!! moment for me). "The Fast Track" reference. Thanks to everybody who reviewed! I'd passed out from exhaustion once, so I sort of knew how X felt physically. This chapter is so long...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Speed Racer: The Next Generation. If I did, season 2 would've come out a long time ago.  
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I watched in disbelief as V.I.C. drove past. For a moment, I wondered where he was going. Then the water started to come in.

_Jealousy._

That was what got me here.

I'd had too much of it all my life. I've always been jealous of kids whose dads were actually _there_. I've always been jealous of kids who didn't have people stalking them everywhere they went. I'd been a little jealous of Speed when Annalise went to him for help. And now I'd been jealous of him again.

_And all because of a car._

The water was up to my ankles now. I banged on the glass that surrounded me as hard as I could; it didn't budge.

The water quickly rose up to my waist. It passed my sholders. I was running out of oxygen.

_It's my own fault. I was the one who stole those keys. _I thought as a thousand other horrible thoughts came about my mind.

_Loser._

_Green-eyed monster._

_Worst brother ever._

_Speed would be better off if he were an only child._

_Dad left because of you, X._

I took one final breath as the water surpassed my head. Darkness was begining to enclose my eyes. It looked like a thousand veins, webbing their way into the shape of a blanket. I thought I heard the sound of metal bending and snapping. It was too far away for me to hear. Amidst all the horrible thoughts I was thinking about myself, one rang out above the rest.

_At least it's not Speed dying in here._

It was me. I was dying in Speed's place. If I hadn't stolen V.I.C., then Speed would be the one drowning in here. I compleatly blacked out. I let the oxygen escape. I vaguely remember the sound of glass breaking. Of water rushing beneath me. Of a falling sensation. I was out before I hit the ground. The darkness that surrounded my eyes was all around me now. Then it... changed. It seemed almost... purple now. Like a dark purple. There was a very loud ringing in my ears, but I could just faintly hear something. I couldn't make out the voice.

_"X?" _Still no clue...

"X?" My eyes opened to find a very concerned Speed hovering over me. Lucy was standing behind me. At that moment I felt like the luckiest kid in the world. Even after everything I did and said, Speed still saved my butt. I wanted to thank him, and apologize, but my throat hurt so much.

"Thanks." I said; that was all I could get out. My throat was on fire.

Speed and Lucy helped me walk outside the Bat Cave-like hideout. I wondered how Speed and Lucy had smashed the gate open like that. Metal bars were everywhere. My question didn't go unanswered for very long.

"V.I.C.?!"

"Speed, we gotta go."

"But V.I.C.-"

"I know, but we gotta go." Apparently, V.I.C. had fallen off the cliff when he broke the gate... to save _me? _That made almose no sense. V.I.C. hadn't been programmed to kidnap me,... at least I don't think so. V.I.C. hadn't been very specific on _which _son of Speed Racer it had to kidnap. Speed and Lucy helped me into the Mach 6. Once Speed started driving, I realized how cold I was. I couldn't stop shivering.

"When we get back to the Academy, you're going straight to the nurse." Speed said.

"I'm fine." I said. My voice cracked.

"No, you're not." Speed put a hand to my arm. "Obviously, we need to check your throat and lungs, and it feels like you're skin's made of ice." Speed was looking overly concerned as he turned up the heat. This made no change to my freezing temperature.

"I'm fine." I repeated as we approached the Academy's main building. Connor was walking by... wearing a cheerleader's outfit? That was not normal, even for Connor. Speed and Lucy helped me out.

"X, why are you all wet?" Connor asked.

"Almost drowned. Why are you dressed like a cheerleader?" I said, my throat on fire.

"Spirit week. Annalise and I tied. We sorta broke the spirit stick." Connor said sheepishly.

"You broke the spirit stick?" Lucy asked.

"If you see an angry mob, tell them I'm in Japan." Connor said, acting all nervous."I'll put on a disguise and meet you at the nurse's office."

"I don't need to go to the-" My statement was cut short by a coughing fit. Speed and Lucy freaked out a little bit, and tried to allow for my rapid body movements. Once I could breathe again, Speed said in a tone of voice that I had never heard him use before:

"You're **_GOING_** to the nurse." The look on his face scared me a little. I didn't protest as I was led inside, through the large room with all the junky cars hanging from the ceiling, to the hallway on the left, and through the third door on the right. Lucy always knew the quickest way to get from point A to point B.

MACHHAGOMACHHAGOMACHHAGOMACHHAGO

The nurse had diagnosed me as fairly healthy; my body temperature would return to normal in a few hours, and my throat and lungs would stop hurting in a few days. Spritle had burst through the door as soon as he heard what had happened. After a long rant about what he was going to do to whoever was responsible that included several words that probably shouldn't have been in my vocabulary, let alone Speed's, Spritle excused me from school for the next three days. For once, I was a little miffed about missing school. Not the actual school part, just the racing part. At least it was only for three or four days and not a week. After the afternoon classes let out, Speed always came in to check on me, as did Spritle. And Connor. And then Lucy. They were usually followed by either Annalise or several girls whose names I did not know. That week was the only time anybody ever knocked on my door. The day before I went back to school, Speed came into my room like he always did.

"X?" Speed said. He looked kind of sad.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you take the keys?"

"I was jealous." I admitted. I was about to say more when Speed cut me off.

"If you'd just waited a day. Then I would've been the one that V.I.C. kidnapped and you wouldn't have almost drowned." Speed said. I could tell that he had been pondering this for a while.

"That's exactly why I don't regret it. If you'd have been kidnapped, there's no way anybody could've known you were in danger. By the time anybody even suspected anything, it would've been too late. You could've died. I don't regret taking those keys because I know that if I'd have drowned, then I would've drowned in your place."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Speed said.

"We're both afraid of the other dying where we could've died." Even I didn't get what I just said.

"What?"

"We'd both die so the other could live."

"No one's ever said anyting like that to me before." Speed said, a distant look on his face. I wondered if he was thinking about his childhood at the orphanage. I hoped with all my heart that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

"I can't believe that anybody could _ever_ care that much about... me..." Speed said, his voice was very faint. His face was growing even more distant. His eyes carried a saddness that I hadn't seen before.

"Well, you're my brother." That brought Speed back to earth. A look of realization and happiness came across his face.

"I'm glad you took the keys." Speed said after a good ten seconds. "But if I ever catch you drowning in my place again, then so help me-"

"Yeah. I get it." We both laughed. "Let's go play some basketball. Third best sport in the world. After racing and wrestling, of course."

Speed laughed.

"You may have me beat in wrestling, but I _own _you in basketball." Speed challenged me.

"I was right. You _do_ talk a pretty big game." I said with a half smile.

"At least I found somebody who deserves respect."

We both laughed at our own joke.


End file.
